A study undertaken in Brazil has shown acupuncture to be effective in reducing neck pain and improving range of neck motion in women with local myofascial pain. A total of 60 such women, aged 18 to 40, who had been experiencing head or neck pain for six months or more, were randomised to receive either acupuncture, electroacupuncture or sham treatment. Eight treatment sessions were given, and patients followed up 28 days later.
Both acupuncture groups reported a significant reduction in pain levels, compared with the sham group, and both acupuncture treatments also resulted in small increases in cervical (neck) range of motion.
(Pain intensity and cervical range of motion in women with myofascial pain treated with acupuncture and electroacupuncture: a double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 28 November 2014, on-line.)